The question is not wheter she is a hero, but why she deserves such attention that other soldiers do not. Anybody else have a parade when they came back? Why? Because it’s a good story. It occupies the media.
IMO, this whole war is following Wag the Dog a little too closely.
And the line I was refuting was
anyway.
"You people are absolutely unbelievable.
She got into a bad situation, she fought for her life, was captured, rescued, and returned to health."
And her choices were?
To me…a hero isn’t someone who simply endures in a situation where they have no other options…especially when there is no official information indicating that she was mistreated or tortured. A hero is someone who makes difficult choices and/or places themselves in harms way deliberately for the sake of some greater good.
Just my opinion.
Sorry, I meant that the doctor (likely) confirmed the use of noise makers by mistaking them for blanks.
Uh…you should read some Medal of Honor recipient’s stories like Audie Murphy. No comparison. I’m ex-military as well.
If Jessica Lynch is a hero then every soldier over there should get the bronze star. Hey, she stopped a bullet and some Fedayeen rifle butts for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. And the original story that she emptied her gun and killed many Iraqi’s has turned out to be incorrect and was, in fact, actions of the first male soldier killed in that action (Fox news, 7-23). Turns out translaters listening to Iraqi radio traffic got the nouns for male vs. female mixed up.
And I agree with someone else here, where in the hell was the GPS that the Captain should have had and would’ve prevented those wrong turns (See the Newsweek article this weeks edition).
NOW, having said that, I’m mighty proud of her and she is demonstrating some impressive character traits with her humble actions and giving all the credit to others. Heck, I want to date her!
Yes, but the media isn’t as big on it.
The Bronze Star-didn’t Glenn Miller get one post-humously?
Yes, he did, for his service as band leader.
[quote]
Major Alton Glenn Miller (Army Serial No. 0505273), Air Corps, United States Army, for meritorious service in connection with military operations as Commander of the Army Air Force Band (Special), from 9 July 1944 to 15 December 1944. Major Miller, through excellent judgment and professional skill, conspicuously blended the abilities of the outstanding musicians, comprising the group, into a harmonious orchestra whose noteworthy contribution to the morale of the armed forces has been little less than sensational. Major Miller constantly sought to increase the services rendered by his organization, and it was through him that the band was ordered to Paris to give this excellent entertainment to as many troops as possible. His superior accomplishments are highly commendable and reflect the highest credit upon himself and the armed forces of the United States.
[quote]
**Let me add at this point that I take nothing away from Ms. Lynch. She seems to be a sincere and dedicated young soldier who is somewhat bewildered by all the ruckus being raised by the media. There is no reason to doubt that, if faced with an overwhelming situation that required courageous action, she would respond heroically. This particular action doesn’t seem to warrant the level of award.
Does anybody know if the other soldiers that were captured and tortured received any such personal decorations?**
Also, I can’t find the citation on a web search. Anybody?
Kputt,
I am with you 100%. I am pretty sure none of the people here were there on the ground in Iraq. Until you are, you have no right to denigrate anything Jessica Lynch did. Should more people end up with medals out of this probably so. My guess is that many have. She didn’t ask for this fame. She was over there doing her job. A job many here sure didn’t want to do.
As for her being returned to health yea she is better but still have to have handicap facilities at her home.
For those of you eager to condemn the administration or otherwise whine my answer would be this. Get off the computer and do something about the government if you don’t like it. It is really easy to sit and complain about the way things are when you don’t have to do any work to change it.
Are you reading the same OP as others here? I’ve seen no criticism of Private Lynch.
Your comment about her health and a “handicap” facility seems to be a non sequitur.
Lastly, questioning what the government does is a constitutional right, bought and paid for with the blood of patriots. It is the first step towards changing what is wrong. I’m very active in local government and feel that part of my duty as a citizen is to help fuel creative thought. Blindly accepting as truth what you are told by the government or the media makes you a worse citizen, not a better one.
Given the truly heroic deeds of many persons past, it is entirely appropriate to question the motives of a government that awards a medal for valor to someone whose actions don’t seem to merit it.
No one is denigrating Pfc. Lynch. What us veterans are saying is that just because you get ambushed and wounded doesn’t warrant a medal for heroism unless you want to award every soldier over there a medal for same.
Would the label of patriot apply to Jessica Lynch, or does it only apply in wars that you favor?
You said it, buddy.
That was my post, by the way, not Robin’s.
You used to have to really work at it to be a hero. Don’t get me wrong, there’s lots of them. One guy’s a hero for rushing so many yards in a game; another is hailed a hero because he blocked the puck really well. Heck, there’s even a recent thread around here where someone thinks heroes are those who get their arm stuck down at the blood drive once every 56 days. There are those who think that the chick filling up vending machines on the USS John Stennis is a hero just because she volunteered for military service. Lots of definitions of heroes.
Dictionary.com has this as the second definition of hero: “A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life”. I, personally, don’t see successfully bailing out from an aircraft and hiding out from the bad guys as a feat of courage; and I don’t think that getting lost and subsequently defending oneself is heroic or noble of purpose - indded, I see it as stupid in the first part and necessary in the second. But not heroic in what I think of as the purest sense of the word, and most definitely not in the military/war sense of the word.
You wanna call her a hero? Have at it. But it’s entirely possible for someone to be a good, upright, honest, patriotic soldier serving her country without being a hero.
Part of the problem here (besides the politics) is terminology. There are several definitions of “hero.” A darn football quarterback can be a hero. As can any person who serves as a role model. Your mom or dad can be your hero for having put up with you, for Pete’s sake. A hero can also be defined as a mythological or legendary person endowed with extraordinary abilities. Or as a person of courage and nobility famed for his military achievements.
In the sense of a person to be looked up to, I think anyone who volunteers to put himself in danger for the good of others is a hero.
According to the military,
http://books.usapa.belvoir.army.mil/cgi-bin/bookmgr/BOOKS/r600_8_22/3.13
While I appreciate PFC Lynch’s service to our country, her Bronze Star reeks of a publicity stunt. IMO, it cheapens the medal when given to true heros.
(Off-topic:
My brother went there too. I would’ve went there if my family hadn’t moved. Small world.)
As for the topic, I agree that she’s a hero simply because the media picked her to be one. It’s also a case of language inflation; the word hero is losing its impact because it’s being applied to victims of any tragedy. I don’t think this should diminish what she did. We’re a bit more removed from the subject than when the story first broke, but some people are still finding it difficult to remove themselves from it emotionally and analyze it logically. And logically, there’s no reason why Lynch is a hero when countless other soldiers from this generation and previous ones are not.